Receptacle



May 14, 1968 L. E. SMITHERS 3,333,035

RECEPTACLE Filed Dec. 20, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT OR JJMM MW ATTORNEYS May 14, 1968 L. E. SMITHERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 MENTOR [an/P6224295 fmz'zers 4/ WI N- is 3 ua Q} g; BYLMQ Mm &

ATTORNEYS May 14, 1968 1.. E. SMITHERS RECEPTACLE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 I INV ENT OR [an flame f firzfims MW! 77 M ATTORNEYS May 14, 1968 1,. E. SMITHERS RECEPTACLE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 INVENTOR lflll ffffzf 5 7116% BY hm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 3,383,035 RECEPTACLE Lawrence E. Smithers, 4 Wessex Road, Silver Spring, Md. 20910 Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,282 9 Claims. (Cl. 232-43.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The receptacle includes a hollow body means mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis on a support structure. The center of gravity of the body means is offset with respect to the pivot axis so that the body means normally remains in its upright storage position. A hole is provided in the rear wall of the body means for receiving material into the hollow interior thereof. A lid for closing off the open upper end of the body means is pivotally supported for pivotal movement with respect to the body means. A pair of links at opposite sides of the body means are provided, the lower ends of these links being pivotally connected to the body means and the upper ends of these links being pivotally connected with the lid so that pivotal movement of the body means causes relatively movement of the lid. The portions of the upper edges of the side walls of the body means adjacent the rear wall thereof are cut away to clear the lid as the body means is pivoted from its vertical storage position. Plates extending downwardly from the lid are disposed adjacent these cutaway portions to prevent the entry of foreign matter through these cutaway portions. A pair of sealing gaskets extend downwardly from the lid adjacent the upper edges of the side walls of the body means to provide a seal therewith. A handle is provided on the body means for pivoting the structure from its storage position to its discharge position, and a horizontally extending stop bar is provided for limiting downward swinging of the body means. In a modified form of the invention, a closure means is provided for the hole in the rear wall of the body means, this closure means including a pair of side members extending substantially normally therefrom to facilitate loading of material into the body means.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a receptacle particularly adapted to receive trash and to replace a conventional trash can as used around houses and the like. The trash receptacle of the present invention is adapted to be mounted either directly on the wall of a house or upon suitable support means at any location. In the past, conventional trash cans formed of galvanized metal have been employed, these trash cans being of well known construction and generally resting upon some sort of concrete pad and the like. A particular disadvantage of conventional trash cans is that they are generally stored outside of the house, and when it is desired to discard trash, it is necessary for a person to carry the trash outside and deposit it in the trash can.

Conventional trash cans are relatively difiicult to handle when discharging trash therefrom since it is necessary to lift the entire trash can off of the ground or supporting surface and to elevate the bottom thereof so as to cause the contents of the trash can to slide out of the open upper end thereof. Furthermore, as is well known, the emptying of trash cans of the usual construction is a very noisy operation.

A further disadvantage of conventional trash cans is the fact that the tops thereof are often loose so that animals and vermin can gain access to the contents of the trash can often resulting in the trash being strewn over the surrounding area.

3,383,!935 Patented May 14, 1968 Summary of the invention The present invention provides an arrangement wherein the hollow body means of the receptacle is adapted to be supported on a suitable support structure adjacent a wall of a home so that access is provided into the interior of the receptacle from the inside of the home. This has the advantage of allowing a person to discharge trash directly from a suitable place such as the kitchen of the home into the trash receptacle without the necessity of leaving the home.

The receptacle of the present invention is pivoted so that in order to discharge the trash from the receptacle it is merely necessary to grasp a suitable handle means and to pull thereon whereupon the body means will pivot into discharge position while the covering lid will automatically pivot out of the way. The discharge position is such that the body means is angled downwardly whereby the contents of the receptacle will under the influence of gravity slide downwardly and outwardly through the open end of the receptacle. This enables the receptacle to be readily discharged with a minimum of effort, and furthermore the operation can be carried out very quietly since there is no necessity for lifting a trash can and then dropping it back onto a supporting surface. When the receptacle of the present invention has been emptied, the body cans and its lid may then be pivoted back into operative storage position.

The trash receptacle of the present invention is especially adapted to be mounted at an elevation above the supporting surface or ground. This arrangement makes it extremely diflicult for animals or vermin to gain access to the receptacle, and for all intents and purposes the receptacle may be considered to be animal and vermin proof. Additionally, the arrangement is such that the receptacle is substantially weatherproof as well as fireproof. Furthermore, in the event of flooding or the like, the elevation of the receptacle above the ground will prevent the receptacle from being flooded until the water level has risen a considerable extent.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel receptacle especially adapted to receive trash and which may be loaded from inside a home or which may be loaded from outside of the home, and further which is adapted to be discharged completely exteriorly of the home.

Another object of the invention is the provision of the receptacle which has a normal tendency to remain in its storage position, yet at the same time is easy to discharge, and wherein the loading and unloading thereof may be carried out in a quiet manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a trash receptacle which is substantially animal and vermin proof as well as being fireproof and weatherproof.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a top perspective view illustrating the receptacle of the present invention mounted on the exterior wall of a home;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the receptacle illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the receptacle in its storage position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the receptacle in its discharge position;

FIG. .5 is a view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale and partially broken away and taken along line 77 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a modified form of the invention illustrating the apparatus partly broken away;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 99 of FIG. 8 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the rear portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 8 and illustrating the closure means for the hole in the rear portion of the receptacle in its loading position.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a first form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 inclusive, and as seen most clearly in FIG. 6, a wall of a home is illustrated including an outer surface 26 exposed to atmosphere and an inner finished surface 22 exposed to the interior of the home. A hole 24 is illustrated as being formed completely through the wall of the home, and a sleeve member 26 is illustrated as being secured in operative position by a plurality of screws 28 which are screwed into the surrounding wall portions. The sleeve 26 is preferably formed of galvanized metal or the like, the inner end of the sleeve being illustrated as disposed flush with the inner surface of the wall, while the other end thereof extends outwardly beyond the outer surface 26 of the wall for a purpose hereinafter described.

The inner end of sleeve 26 is closed by a suitable closure member 30 which as seen most clearly in FIG. 5 is supported by a pair of hinges 32, and further which has a handle 34 secured thereto for opening and closing closure means 30 as required.

A body means is indicated generally by reference numeral 40, and a lid is indicated generally by reference numeral 42, Body means includes a forward wall portion 44, a rear wall portion 46 disposed in substantially parallel relationship to the forward wall portion, and a bottom wall portion 48 joining the forward and rear wall portions. As seen in FIG. 8, the bottom wall portion 43 is of arcuate configuration with the lowermost point of this wall portion disposed substantially directly below the center of gravity of the over-all body means as indicated by the reference character c.g. in FIG. 6.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 7, the body means includes opposite side wall portions 50 and 52 disposed in substantially parallel relationship with one another, these side wall portions connecting the opposite edges of the forward and rear wall portions previously described. The upper edges of side wall portions 50 and 52 are provided with laterally outwardly extending flanges 54 and 56 which serve to rigidify the upper edges of these side wall portions, and as seen in FIG. 6 the upper edge of the forward wall portion 44 also includes an outwardly extending flange portion 58 for a similar purpose. A handle portion 60 is also secured to the forward wall portion to facilitate manipulation of the apparatus.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 7, the rear wall portion 46 of the body means is provided with an access hole 64 which is adapted to fit relatively snugly about the outer end of sleeve 24 when the receptacle is in its vertical storage position as seen in FIGS. 13 and 6; and as seen further in FIGS. 6 and 7, the access opening 64 is surrounded by a gasket member 66 extending rearwardly thereof so as to engage the outer surface 2% of the wall of the home for providing a seal therewith when the receptacle is in its storage position. It will be noted as seen especially in FIG. 6 that with the receptacle in the storage position, the outer end of sleeve 26 extends within the hole in the rear wall of the receptacle so that when material is fed through sleeve 26 into the receptacle, there is no way in which the material can become wedged between the outer surface of the wall and the rear surface of the receptacle when it is in its storage position.

Support means is provided for securing the receptacle structure to the outer surface of the Wall of a home or the like and includes a fiat bar-like member 70 extending substantially horizontally along the wall of the house, a pair of vertically extending support portions 72 and 74 extending downwardly from opposite ends thereof. Portions 70, 72 and 74 of the support means are secured to the brick wall of the home as by lag bolts 76 or the like passing through suitable openings in these portions. Vertically extending member 72 as seen most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes an integral substantially perpendicularly extending lower portion 80 which in turn joints with an angularly disposed portion 82 which further joins with a portion 84 disposed substantially parallel with portion 80. Portion 84 in turn joins with an angularly disposed portion 86 which terminates in an upturned portion 88 secured by a suitable fastener 99 to portion 72 previously described. In a similar manner as seen most clearly in FIG. 1, the vertically extending portion 74 joins with an outwardly extending portion 92 which further joins with an angularly disposed portion 94. Portion 94 in turn joins with portion 96 disposed substantially parallel to portion 92, and further joins with the angularly related portion 98 which terminates in an upturned end portion 100 secured as by a fastener 102 with the vertically extending portion 74-.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, a stop means comprises a rod having the opposite end suitably secured to the juncture of portions 80 and 82 and 92 and 94 of the support structure as by welding or the like, rod 110 being surrounded throughout the major portion of its length by a sleeve 112 formed of a suitable soft elastic material such as rubber or the like adapted to engage the forward wall of the body means for limiting downward swinging movement thereof as hereinafter described.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, a pair of trunnions or stub shafts 116 and 118 extend outwardly from the opposite side wall portions of the body means and are rotatably journalled within bearings 120 and 122 respectively, bearing 120 being suitably fixed to the support means at the juncture of portions 84 and 86 thereof at one side of the body means, and the bearing 122 being suitably secured to the support means at the juncture of the portions 96 and 98 thereof. As seen most clearly in FIG. 6, this arrangement supports the body means 40 for pivotal movement about a pivot axis indicated by reference character p.a. whereby it will be noted as seen in FIG. 6 that the center of gravity of the body means is offset with respect to the pivot axis so that the weight of the body means normally tends to hold the receptacle in its storage position as shown. Furthermore, the arcuate bottom wall portion of the body means will tend to cause the material deposited therein to move toward the midportion of the receptacle so that the weight of the trash within the receptacle will not be unbalanced so as to accidentally tip the body means from its storage position. The weight of the body means in any event will be sufiicient to retain the body means in its storage position even should there be an unbalanced load in the receptacle.

The lid 42 includes a flat sheet of material having 21 depending integral flange 132 formed along one side thereof as seen most clearly in FIG. 3 and including a depending integral flange 134 formed along the forward edge thereof as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. A further depending integral flange 136 is formed along the opposite edge of member 130 as seen most clearly in FIG. 1. This lid as well as the body means of the receptacle is preferably formed of a suitable relatively rigid and durable material such as galvanized metal or the like. The lid is pivotally supported from support portion 70 by a pluraity of conventional hinge assemblies 138 and 140. The lid may be cut away at its opposite rear corners to clear the depending support portions 72 and 74 while the central rearmost portion of member 130 is adapted to fit under support' portion 70. With this arrangement as well as the depending flange portions 132, 134 and 136, the lid will close oif the upper end of the body means and prevent rain from entering the upper end of the body means. It will also be noted that the lid is pitched downwardly in an outward direction as seen most clearly for example in 'FIG. 3 whereby any water on the lid will tend to run off.

As seen in FIG. 7, a first pair of spaced connecting members 14 4 are secured to the lid member 130 by a plurality of screws '146 extending downwardly through suitable h'oles provided in member 130- and being threaded into members 144 which are illustrated as being formed of wood. A similar pair of connecting members 148 are secured .to lid member 130 by a plurality of screws 1'50 extending downwardly through suitable holes in member 1 30 and being threaded into members 148 which may also be formed of wood or any suitable material.

A first link member 154 is pivotally connected at the upper end thereof with the connecting members 144 by a pin .156. The lower end of link member 154 is connected with side wall portion 50 of the body means by a pin 158 supported by the side wall portion. In a similar manner, a link member v1 60 is pivotally connected at the upper end thereof with the connecting members 148 by a pin 1 62. The lower end of link member 160 is pivotally interconnected with the side wall portion 52 of the body means by a pin 1 64 supported by side wall portion 52. This link arrangement causes the lid to pivot on the hinges supporting the lid simultaneously with pivotal movement of the body means in the manner hereinafter described.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 4, the upper edge of the side wall portion '50 at the rear part thereof is cut away as indicated at .170, it being understood that the opposite side wall portion 52 is cut away in a similar manner. These cutaway portions provide clearance so that the rear part of these upper edge portions will clear the adjacent portions of the lid when the body means is initially pivoted (from its storage position toward the discharge position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 4. A first depending plate 172 is secured to the undersurface of lid member 160' by a pair of screws 174 extending down through suitable holes in the lid member and being threaded into member 172. A similar plate member 176 is supported from the undersurface of lid member .130 by a pair of screws 17'8. Plate members 172 and 176 are adapted to be positioned closely adjacent to the lateral outer edges of flange portions 54 and .56 respectively when the body means is in its storage. position so as to close off the space above the cutaway portions at the rear parts of the upper edges of the body means thereby preventing the entrance of foreign matter into the receptacle through these cutaway portions.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 4, .a first gasket member 180 formed of a suitable sealing material such as rubber or the like is secured to the undersurface of lid member 130 by an adhesive substance or the like. This sealing gasket lies substantially in the same plane as plate 172 and the innermost of the two connecting members 144, the sealing gasket extending from a point adjacent the forward end of sealing gasket 144 to a point adjacent the forward wall portion of the body means when the structure is in its storage position. A similar sealing gasket 182 as seen in FIG. 6 is supported from the undersurface of lid member 130 and extends from a point adjacent the forward end of one of the connecting members .148 forwardly to a point adjacent the forward wall portion 44 of the body means as seen in FIG. 6. These two sealing gaskets 1 80 and 182 are adapted to engage the outer lateral edges of the flanges 54 and 56 respectively formed on the side wall portions 50 and 52 of the body means so as to provide an elfective seal therewith.

It will be noted that when the lid is in the storage position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the undersurface of lid member v160 rests upon the flange portions 54, 56 and 58 thereby effectively closing off the open upper end of the body means and providing a good seal therewith.

In operation, the receptacle is illustrated in its normal upright storage position in FIGS. 1-3 and 6. If it is desired to place trash or other material within the body means of the receptacle, the closure means 30* may be pivoted from the position shown in FIG. 5 so as to provide access through the sleeve 26 to the interior of the receptacle, and material can thereby be placed into the receptacle from the inside of the home. Closure means 30 can then be closed to provide an effective closure so that the body means of the receptacle is completely sealed oif.

-When it is desired to discharge material from the re ceptacle, a person can simply grasp the handle 60 on the front wall portion of the body means and pull the handle outwardly so as to pivot the body means about its pivot axis. As the body means pivots in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 6, the link means including link members 154 and 161 will cause the lid to pivot upwardly in a counterclockwise direction. As seen in FIG. 4, the lid will be moved upwardly to its uppermost position as illustrated in phantom lines and then will return to the solid line position as seen in this figure when the body means is in its discharge position as shown in full lines wherein it is restrained from further downward pivotal movement by the stop means including the sleeve 112. It is apparent that when in this position, any material within the body means of the receptacle will tend to slide downwardly and outwardly through the open end thereof under the influence of gravity. Any material which does not freely slide out of the container may be readily removed therefrom by reaching into the container.

If it is desired to load the receptacle from outside the home, a suitable lock means may be provided for locking the container in the phantom line position shown in FIG. 4, so that the receptacle may be loaded from the exterior of the wall of the home.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-10 inclusive, a modified form of the invention is illustrated. The receptacle structure illustrated in these three figures is substantially the same as that previously described, and similar parts have been given the same reference numeralsprimed. This particular modification is adapted to be supported at a point spaced from the wall of a home, and two uprights support posts 200 and 202 are provided for supporting the receptacle. These support posts are suitably rigidly embedded in the ground and the same support structure may be employed as previously described with the exception that different types of fastening members 204 may be employed in place of the lag bolts 76 as described in connection with the previous form of the invention.

In this form of the invention, the principal difference lies in the manner in which material is fed into the hollow body means. The rear wall portion 46' is provided with an access hole therein as in the previous modification, but the sleeve 26 as previously described is eliminated, and a different closure means and feed structure are provided.

As seen most clearly in FIGS. 9 'and 10, a closure member 210 comprises a substantially fiat member which is pivotally supported by hinge means 212 secured to the rear wall portion 46. As seen in FIG. 9, the lower edge of member 210 is cut away to receive the adjacent portion of the rear wall portion around the access hole provided in this rear Wall portion. This cutout enables the closure member 210 to be disposed in the closed position shown in FIG. 9, and yet at the same time the closure member may be swung into the open phantom line position as seen in this figure wherein the bottom of the closure member will extend inwardly of the rear wall portion to prevent 'any material from dropping downwardly between the closure means and the rear wall portion when the apparatus is being loaded.

The closure member 210 is held in its closed position by a snap catch mechanism 214 of conventional construction including a fixed portion 214 secured to the rear wall portion 46 of the body means.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 10, a pair of side members 216 and 218 are secured to the opposite side edges of member 210 and are disposed substantially perpendicular thereto so that members 216 and 218 are substantially parallel with one another. The upper edges 216 and 218' of side members 216 and 218 respectively are curved so as to clear the portion of the rear wall portion disposed at the top of the access opening.

Side members 216 and 218 include flanges 220 and 222 disposed within the receptacle and extending substantially normal to side members 216 and 218. These flange portions serve to limit outward pivoting movement of the closure means, and in the position shown in FIG. 10, the flange portions 220 and 222 are in engagement with the rear wall portion of the body means.

It is apparent that when the closure means is pivoted downwardly into the position shown in FIG. 10, material can be readily inserted between the side members 216 and 218 while resting on closure member 210 for loading the interior of the receptacle. A cross member 224 is secured at its opposite end portions to the side members 216 and 218 to hold these members in proper spaced relationship to one another and to rigidity the structure.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustr'ative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle comprising a hollow body means open at the top thereof, means for supporting said body means for pivotal movement about a pivot axis, from 'an upright storage position to downwardly inclined dumping position, a lid for closing off the open upper end of said body means, means for supporting said lid for pivotal movement with respect to said body means, and link means interconnecting said body means and said lid, said link means being pivotally connected at one end thereof to said body means and being pivotally connected at the opposite end thereof to said lid so that upon pivotal movement of said body means said lid will also pivot relative to said body means, the bottom of said body means being substantially semi-cylindrical with the axis thereof being substantially in the same horizontal plane as and parallel to said pivotal axis, said pivotal axis being offset on one side therefrom said bottom semi-cylindrical axis, said pivotal connection of said link with said body being substantially in said same horizontal plane but offset from said semi-cylindrical axis on the other side thereof, and said support means further "carrying a stop bar below the bottom of said body means, said b'ar being parallel to said pivotal axis but offset from a vertical plane passing through said pivotal axis whereby said body in its downwardly inclined dumping position contacts said bar.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the center of gravity of said body means is olfset from said pivot axis so that the weight of the body means normally tends to move the body means to its upright storage position with said lid closing off the upper end of said body means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said body means includes a rear wall portion, said rear wall portion having a hole formed therethrough for receiving material into the interior of said body means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said body means includes a pair of side wall portions, said side Wall portions including upper edges cut away adjacent said rear wall portion so as to clear the lid when the body means is pivoted from its storage position.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 including a pair of plates supported by said lid and depending therefrom, said plates when the apparatus is in its storage position lying closely adjacent to the cutaway parts of the upper' edges of said side wall portions.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said link means comprises a pair of links disposed at opposite sides of said body means, said body means including a pair of opposite side wall portions, each of said link means being pivotally connected with one of said side wall portions, said lid having supported thereby and depending therefrom two pairs of connecting members each of which is pivotally interconnected with an upper end portion of one of said links.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said body means includes a pair of opposite side wall portions having upper edges, and a pair of sealing gaskets supported by and depending from the undersurface of said lid, said sealing gaskets cooperating with the said upper edges to provide a seal along the upper edges of said body means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said body means includes a rear wall portion, a pair of opposite side wall portions and a forward wall portion as well as a bottom wall portion, said bottom wall portion being of said arcuate configuration so that material within the receptacle will tend to move into the central lower portion of the receptacle, the center of gravity of the receptacle being offset with respect to said pivot axis so that the weight of the receptacle normally tends to move the receptacle into its upright storage position with the lid closing oif the open upper end of the body means, said rear wall portion having a hole formed therethrough for receiving material into the interior of said receptacle, said link means comprising a pair of links, the lower end of each of said links being pivotally connected with one of said side wall portions, said lid including depending connecting means, the upper ends of the upper ends of each of said links being pivotally connected with one of said connecting means.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 including closure means for closing off the hole in the rear wall portion of said body means, said closure means comprising a substantially fiat member adapted to fit within said hole, and a pair of side members disposed adjacent opposite lateral edges of said flat member and extending substantially normally thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,261 1/1894 Nailor 248-134 994,147 6/1911 Gage 248137 1,130,503 3/1915 Franckaerts 232431 2,464,306 3/1949 Greene 248134 2,568,041 9/1951 Van Outrive 248137 2,701,112 2/1955 Powers 248134 3,263,854 8/1966 Powers 220-l8 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner, 

